Matter and Form explores the relationship that has long existed between natural science and political philosophy. Plato's Socrates articulates the Ideas or Forms as an account of the ultimate source of causality in the cosmos. Aristotle's natural philosophy had a significant impact on his political philosophy: he argues that humans are by nature political animals, having their natural end in the city whose regime is hierarchically structured based on differences in moral and intellectual capacity. Medieval theorists attempt to synthesize classical natural and political philosophy with the revealed truths of scripture; they argue that divine reason structures an ordered universe, the awareness of which allows for psychic and political harmony among human beings. Enlightenment thinkers challenge the natural philosophy of classical and medieval philosophers, ushering in a more liberal political order. For example, for Hobbes, there is no rest in nature as there are no Aristotelian forms or natural places that govern matter. Hobbes applies his mechanistic understanding of material nature to his understanding of human nature: individuals are by nature locked in an endless pursuit of power until death. However, from this mechanistic understanding of humanity's natural condition, Hobbes develops a social contract theory in which civil and political society is constituted from consent. Later thinkers, such as Locke and Rousseau, modify this Hobbesian premise in their pursuit of the protection of rights and a free society. Nevertheless, materialist conceptions of the cosmos have not always given rise to liberal democratic philosophies. Historicist influence on scientific inquiry in the nineteenth century is connected to Darwin's theory of evolution; Darwin reasoned that over time the process of natural selection produces ever newer and more highly adapted species. Reflecting a form of social Darwinism, Nietzsche envisions an aristocratic order that draws its inspiration from art rather than the rationalism

In the spring of 2003 when Norman Mailer was 80 years old, he invited an improbable companion into his life: Dwayne Raymond, 40 years his junior, originally from a small town in Oregon, and now a waiter at a restaurant in Provincetown, Cape Cod, where Mailer spent most of his final years. Over the next half-decade, Raymond became Mailer's aide in all matters professional and private. Raymond assisted him with four books he published during this time, including his final novel "The Castle in the Forest". The two spent many hours together each day talking, cooking, and researching new projects. As Raymond's responsibilities grew, so too did his friendship with Mailer, who taught him how to navigate his own personal challenges. In this poignant memoir, Dwayne Raymond presents an alternative portrayal of a writer who is frequently described as controversial, combative, and verbose; the Norman Mailer he depicts is a comparatively temperate, comprehensive man whose quirky, human qualities far outweigh the disquieting legend. Beautifully written and honestly portrayed, "Mornings with Mailer" is a personal and revealing story of a great writer, his Man-Friday, and their unlikely, but enduring, relationship.